Severe or chronic pain affects nearly 50 million American adults, reports a new study prepared by National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which was published in The Journal of Pain last summer. About half of these people are suffering from chronic pain every single day. Steven, the subject of Sonima.com’s new video series called “Becoming Pain Free,” is one of them.

The 34-year-old independent filmmaker and photographer, who just moved to Los Angeles with his wife, Melanie, and 5-year-old son, Victor, has been battling consistent joint pain in his legs, wrists, and lower back—a byproduct of his profession that requires holding heavy camera equipment for hours—for about nine years. It’s common for Steven to wake up with numb arms and feet and unable to walk. When doctors couldn’t help him address the pain, he turned to Pete Egoscue, Sonima.com’s pain and anatomy advisor, author of multiple books including Pain Free, and creator of the Egoscue Method, an exercise therapy program—taught at more than 25 clinics worldwide—aimed at healing chronic pain without prescription painkillers or invasive surgery.

In episode eight of the series, Steven brings his family to Del Mar for his final visit to the Egoscue Clinic. In a before-and-after photo comparison, Steven’s progress is obvious to Victor, who points out the noticeable difference in his posture. Melanie, attests to changes in Steven’s energy level and overall well-being. After reviewing this progress together, Brian introduces Steven and his family to the “function run,” a slow-paced conditioning exercise designed to engage the hips and lower body and support better posture and mobility. This simple exercise will be key to Steven’s maintenance program now the the eight-week-program is complete, and it’s also something that the whole family can do together. Watch the video above to learn more about Steven’s transformation, and how this journey has affected him and his family.

Missed the earlier episodes of “Becoming Pain Free”? Watch them here:

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